Senior Travelers Will be Key to Growth of German Market in Near-Term Future: According to the just-released annual Tourism Analysis by the Hamburg-based Institute for Future Issues, the number of Germans over 65 who went on at least one five-day vacation increased to nearly 50 percent last year, compared to 44 percent ten years ago. The study’s report, which was based on a representative survey of 4,400 consumers, indicated that this trend is likely to intensify in the coming years due to demographic factors. (Nearly 21 percent of Germany’s population of more than 80 million is over 65 years old, vs. 13.7 percent for the U.S. In addition, 52 million Germans speak English—the UK is the only European nation with more English speakers.)

The finding is encouraging news for U.S. travel suppliers, who regard Germany as a rich market because they visit for longer periods and tend to explore new parts of the USA in their travels—more so than do visitors from other major overseas source markets. Germany is expected to send about 2 million visitors to the United States this year; it is now the Number 5 overseas source market, having been eclipsed in 2014 by China, which is now Number 4.

Some points noted in the Institute for Future Issues report include the following:

• Overall, about 57 percent of Germans took a one-week holiday (or more) last year, which was unchanged compared to the previous year. But study author Professor Ulrich Reinhardt, the study’s author, said the level is high, noting that number is seven percentage points higher than in 2009.
• This year, 44 percent of Germans are definitely planning a foreign holiday while 37 percent are still undecided.
• Germany itself remained the most popular overall destination for German holidaymakers—37 percent of vacations last year were taken domestically.
• About 29 percent of Germans—particularly those in the 50 to 64 age group—“dream” of a cruise holiday.

Leadership Change in Place at Germany’s Second Largest Travel Company: The second largest tourism group in Germany, DER Touristik—it owns some of the most popular and durable brands for U.S. travel suppliers—has put into place a leadership team that will oversee outbound product operations when company veteran Michael Frese retires this summer after 12 years as head of the group‘s individual and long-haul holidays business. The company has promoted Matthias Rotter and René Herzog to senior management positions to effect the transition following Frese’s departure. .

Rotter will take over as managing director, tourism of DER Touristik Frankfurt, effective June 1st. At the same time, Herzog will become chief operating officer and take responsibility for all tour operator activities at the company’s two divisions in Cologne and Frankfurt, which he currently shares with Frese.

Rotter, who has been head of Meier’s Weltreisen since 2003, will be responsible for Dertour, Meier‘s Weltreisen and ADAC Reisen. Herzog will be responsible for the package holiday brands ITS, Jahn Reisen and Travelix in Cologne together with Rolf-Dieter Maltzahn, tourism director at DER Touristik Cologne, and for the Frankfurt-based brands together with Rotter.

Sören Hartmann, DER Touristik’s CEO, told the German trade publication, FVW, that the management restructuring will not affect the group’s operations, noting that. “the different business models of the individual holidays and package holidays

The Trend? More Optimism about 2015 than There Was for 2014: According to a new report from the FUR market research organization, Germans hope to travel more in 2015 and are generally satisfied with their financial security and ability to take enough time to travel, with numbers on these and other key indicators suggesting that inbound arrivals in the U.S. should creep up as they did last year. (The recently released long term forecast of the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office projects a two percent, year-over-year increase in arrivals from Germany in 2015, putting the total number for the year at just about 2 million visitors.)

Martin Lohmann, an advisor to FUR, which conducts the annual Reiseanalyse survey of some 2,500 people, said at the CMT travel trade show (Jan. 17-25) in Stuttgart, “After a good year in 2014, the outlook for tourism in 2015 looks even better.” One factor not apparent in the Reiseanalyse survey report is whether or not the slide of the Euro against the U.S. dollar is/will have an impact on the travel decision of Germans as consumers enter the period in which many make their choices for summer holidays. Lohmann did explain, howver, that all the key factors indicate stable or higher demand, and a rise in the number of trips and spending levels. Such factors are presented in the following table.

Key Factors Affecting Outlook for Travel by Germans—2015

Source: Reiseanalyse

Also:

• Up to 42 percent of holidaymakers plan to visit a destination where they have never been before
• The main destinations will remain the same this year, according to the Reiseanalyse. Holidays within Germany will stay number one with about 30 percent of all trips, followed by Spain, Italy, Turkey and Austria.
• About two thirds of all holidays take place within one of these five countries (Germany, Spain, Italy, Turkey and Austria) every year.
• In 2014, the number of holiday trips undertaken by Germans increased by 2 percent to about 72 million—this figure excludes short trips, business travel and other trips.